Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino 1
The fight was for the WSOF lightweight title with Justin Gaethje defending. The Fight The first round began. They landed simultaneous leg kicks. Gaethje landed a leg kick. Gaethje landed a big left dropping Palomino and a right uppercut, they clinched. Broke landing a nice right, and another right uppercut. Crowd chanting Gaethje. Palomino lands a counter right. Gaethje lands a flush high kick and a right, drops Palomino, lands another right, they clinch. Gaethje works for a double, lifts and slams Palomino. Palomino standing and did, they break. Palomino lands a right. Gaethje landsa right. And a right uppercut. And a big counter right, big right uppercut staggers Palomino. Palomino lands a good right and a big left stuns Gaethje. They clinch. "Elbow!" Gaethje lands a right uppercut, knees the body, they break. Gaethje lands a right uppercut, eats a counter right. Palomino lands a right uppercut, two big rights, Gaethje already seems exhausted. They clinch. 2:00 as Palomino knees the body. Palomino breaks with a right elbow and landsa right. Gaethje lands a huge counter right uppercut, throws Palomino down with a modified rear-naked choke type grip, takes the back. No hooks. Interesting. "Knee!" Gaethje knees the body. And a right under. Another. 1:00. Another underneath. And a right elbow. Palomino stands eating a hgih kick and two rights, Palomino's wobbly, ate a right uppercut, a right drops him, anoother right, stands eating a knee. Palomino's gutsy, eats a huge counter right Gaethje does. Both men are staggered. Ref steps in to replace Palomino's mouthpiece, fucking seriously? Really? Gaethje's getting a rest... They continue. They btoh swing, Palomino lands a left coutnering a flying knee, lands another left, Gaethje tries a somersault kick, Palomino gets pissed and tries to throw back but R1 ends. 10-9 Gaethje but close, exciting. Lol Reddit's calling Gaethje's takedown a chokeslam. R2 began. Gaethje lands a left and a right uppercut. Gaethje lands a high kick. Palomino tries a flying knee. Lands a one-two. Nice exchange of haymakers. Neither lands. 4:00. Palomino lands a hard leg kick, and inside kick. Palomino lands a right uppercut. Gaethje lands a right uppercut, eats a sneaky left counter. Gaethje lands a right uppercut and a left. Crowd chanting for him. Gaethje lands a right and a right uppercut. Gaethje lands a leg kick. Palomino lands a right, eats a leg kick. Palomino lands a right and another, another and a big left. And a right. Gaethje lands a hard leg kick. Palomino lands a left. Clinch. Gaethje cut on right side of face. Palomino lands a right elbow as they break. Gaethje lands a leg kick in another clinch, another, lands a high kick as they break. Blood over Gathje's right eye. Gaethje lands a counter right hurting him, drags him down. 2:00, has the back. Palomino stands to the waist cinch. Gaethje knees the leg, they clinch. Palomino breaks slipping a right. Gaethje lands a leg kick. Palomino lands a one-two. Gaethje misses a spinning back elbow woefully. Gaethje lands a nice leg kick. 1:00. Gaethje lands a leg kick. Palomino lands a right. And a counter right and a body kick. And a right. Gaethje lands a leg kick. And another. Those are taking their toll. And an inside kick. Gaethje missed another leg kick. Gaethje misses a big combo. 10 seconds. Palomino lands a right, dodges a leg kick. R2 ends, I'd give that one to Palomino 10-9 but tough to call. R3 began. Gaethje stalking. They clinch. They break, Gaethje's exhausted. Gaethje landed a leg kick. Palomino replied. He blocks a high kick. 4:00, time called to cut some tape off Palomino's glove. Gaethje getting a rest. They continue. Gaethje lands a right uppercut, eats a left, lands a leg kick. Palomino lands a right and a left. Palomino knees the body, they clinch. Gaethje lands a right elbow, right to the body. Right uppercut to the face. Knees the head, right uppercut. They break. Gaethje sprawls a single. They stand and break. Gaethje lands a right, they clinch. Bas calls them both warriors, says neither loses this fight. They break. They clinch. Gaethje knees the body. Again. Right elbow. Breaks landing a left. 2:00 as Gaethje lands a leg kick and another drops him. Stands voer him. Ref stands Palomino up. Gaethje lands a leg kick. Both men are exhausted. Clinch. Break. Gaethje lands a flying knee, right uppercut. And a huge leg kick drops him, a right. Right and left hammerfists, right elbow, it's over. Bas Rutten calls it the best fight he's ever seen lol. Bas can't remember Hearns' name but compares it to the Hagler fights. Gaethje said Palomino was the toughest guy he ever fought and trained accordingly. "He's a warrior." Palomino was very respectful but disappointed. He said he broke his right hand and right ankle in the second round but wasn't taking anything away from Gaethje.